When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all
together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there
appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of
them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
In a Nutshell
Luke
tells us in very brief terms what he could gather about the specific day and
hour when the apostles were filled with God's Holy Spirit and spoke in other
languages.
Questions
Who were "they"?
Is Luke saying it was the 12 apostles or is he suggesting a larger gathering,
say of the 120 believers?
What does "waiting" mean? Think about it. As an activity
"waiting" becomes meaningful because of what we wait for.
Suppose the apostles had waited but the Spirit had not come. Then the entire
story falls apart. In that case they could no longer rely upon Jesus' word.
It'd be all over. All they would have had, and all we would have now, is just
another "spirituality" seeking followers in the market place.
But Jesus told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait - God's Holy Spirit
was coming. During this time it seems unlikely that they were always together
in the same place, sitting passively for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But
they organised to come together regularly and they prayed and listened to what
was taught by the Psalms and Prophets. They transacted their synagogue business
- the vexing Judas issue was taken care of. As they waited they kept their
festivals, reading and re-reading the scripture to help them understand why
they were waiting. Imagine it: "While we wait shouldn't we be finding out
what the bible says about waiting for the Holy Spirit?" "Yes,"
says another, "how did King David deal with these matters in his
Psalter?" "I recall," says another, "how the prophets
denounced idolatry, promising a new heart." "Don't forget Joel,"
says another. "Joel 2:28-32 says something very interesting." And so,
the days passed as they sang the Psalms afresh and listened eagerly to the
prophets. They might have reminisced about the way the crowds enjoyed Jesus'
teaching when the religious leaders asked Him to explain the psalm where it
reads "the Lord says to my Lord".
Yet, when it happened, the Almighty took them totally by surprise.
After all, who knows how to get ready for the coming of the Holy Spirit? They
gathered together on Pentecost morning and before they knew it they are
swamped, overwhelmed by a mighty wind filling the place. They opened their
mouths and it was a holy fire which took hold on each, as they heard themselves
speaking other languages. Luke tells us that this historic moment bound the
apostles together in a new and miraculous way. From this moment they could
fulfil Jesus' command and take the news with them everywhere they went. This
was the latest of God's mighty deeds, and it was so special that all who follow
Jesus are filled by this outpouring.